Emilia Clarke has had a glorious career in both film and TV, starring in some of the biggest franchises and acclaimed projects. The actress has famously played Sarah Connor in 2015’s Terminator Genisys and also starred in successful rom-coms Me Before You, and Last Christmas. However, her most recognizable performance is her leading role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Clarke played the character for the complete run of the show which lasted for 8 years. The actress was fresh out of drama school when she landed the part and had to do certain n*de scenes from the beginning. Her reputation in the show caused problems while doing other projects as she was expected to easily adhere to being n*de on screen.
Being In Game of Thrones Had its Shortcomings For Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke was in her early 20s when she bagged the role of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The role became her breakout performance which led to four Emmy nominations and lots of accolades. The actress played the iconic role in all 8 seasons of the show and her complex portrayal of the troubled character won over critics and fans.
The beloved franchise is known for its depiction of adultery and incestuous relationships between its characters. Thus, actors/actresses engaged in scenes that involved n*dity. Clarke’s Daenerys also had her fair share of such scenes (for example Daenerys emerging out of a fire n*ked in season 6). However, that aspect of the show led to others trying to take advantage of the actress in other projects.
In an appearance on the Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the Terminator Genisys star revealed that she has become more savvy about what she’s comfortable doing on camera and how far she is willing to go. The actress recalled instances where certain filmmakers tried to convince her to go n*de on camera by warning her to not disappoint her Game of Thrones fans. Clarke said,
“I mean, this way back in the day. So, now things are very, very different, and I’m a lot more savvy about what I’m comfortable with and what I am OK with doing. Like, I’ve had fights on set before where I’m like, ‘No! the sheet stays up’ and they’re like, ‘You don’t want to disappoint your Game of Thrones fans’ and I’m like, ‘F**k you’
On-screen n*dity is such a delicate thing for women and the industry has not been kind to actresses in the past with how they deal with such scenes (as seen in Clarke’s case). However, things have changed and intimacy coordinators have now become a must in projects requiring om-screen n*dity to make actors comfortable during such vulnerable scenes.
Emilia Clarke Refuses To Watch House of The Dragon For a Very Particular Reason
After the end of Game of Thrones in 2019, HBO came back with the prequel show House of The Dragon in 2022. The first season received great reviews and won several awards, bringing back the fans of the franchise after a dismal end to the mothership series. When Emilia Clarke was asked whether she has watched the prequel show, she was honest in admitting that she is purposely avoiding the show.
The actress stated that while she is very happy that the show happened, it feels too weird for her to watch it. She compared her feeling to being invited to a school reunion where it’s not her year. This strange feeling has kept Clarke from watching the show. She told Variety,
No! Can you [forgive me]? It’s too weird. I’m so happy it’s happening. I’m over the moon about all the awards… I just can’t do it. It’s so weird. It’s so strange. It’s kind of like someone saying, ‘You want to go to this school reunion that’s not your year? Want to go to that school reunion?’ That’s how it feels. I’m avoiding it.
The prequel show is currently airing its second season which continues to entertain and engage audiences with its interesting storyline. Fans hope that Clarke convinces herself to watch the brilliance of the show one day. All 8 seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on Max along with season 2 of House of the Dragon.
